Dynamics of efficiency of nutrient use in crops amended with Erythrina

Agroforestry systems are considered to be hypothetically capable of improving soil physical properties, maintaining soil organic matter and increasing nutrient cycling. Proof of these hypotheses will require long-term measurements and refined experimental techniques. An experiment to compare maize and bean production under alley cropping with Erythrina poeppigiana (Walp.) O.F. Cook and Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp. with sole cropping with and without organic amendments has been maintained at Turrialba, Costa Rica, since 1982. Plant biomass, crop production and soil changes were analyzed and nutrient budgets were constructed to assess the effects of alley cropping over a 10-year period. Maize and beans responded positively to organic amendments in all years. Beans responded positively to alley cropping with E. poeppigiana, but maize did not. Except for N in the alley-cropping treatment, nutrient balances were positive and were greater in the mulch treatment than in the alley-cropping treatment. The efficiencies of N, P, K, Ca and Mg use were also lower in the alley-cropping treatment than in the mulch treatment.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	82396 Kass, D.L., 120784 Soto P, L., 122676 Szott, L.T., 131136 Westley, S.B., 106621 Powell, M.H. eds., CATIE - Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza Turrialba, Costa Rica autor/a 3977, 15141 Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association, Hawaii (EUA), International Conference Erythrina in the New and Old Worlds Turrialba (Costa Rica) 19-23 Oct 1992
Format:	biblioteca
Published:	Hawaii (EUA) 1993
Subjects:	ZEA MAYS, PHASEOLUS, ERYTHRINA, NUTRIENTES, TURRIALBA, COSTA RICA,
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